lampini

It seems the weather will improve and we may well have a nice September. (in time for our two weeks - selfish - moi??) But right now my little road in Deptford is like a river - the drains just can't cope!

The helpfulness of other boaters on the broads was the very first thing that made me properly relax and begin to enjoy it properly! We learn loads each time we come - 10 days to go before we're back - bring on part two, you're making me positively salivate for the broads!

I asked the young pilot who took us through Wroxham last October if he'd ever got it wrong - he looked at me and said "only the once" and winked!

I'm in! It has lights!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Night-racing.............

I used to get awful sciatica, which would keep me awake at night. Tried diclofenac (sp?) from the doc.. Limited success.. Then I started to get arthritis too and I really thought it was all over! Then one night I was awake and googling my problems and I noticed lots of yanks were getting some good results from an enzyme called Serrapeptase. I found some for sale through Amazon and thought I'd gamble a fiver and give it a go! Two years later im pain and drug free, apart from a combo of Serrapeptase and 80pu vitamin D supplement daily. No nasty side effects and combined with swimming as many times per week as I can, I'm now fitter and more pain-free than I've been in about 15 years! I really never thought I'd be this pain-free again..

Hi Branden, I do hope all this gets sorted favourably for you, I really do. Roger seems to be pretty persistent and also quite respected locally - so that's a good start! As an ex-traveller myself, it's my experience that the best and quickest solution always comes from compromise. It's not very hip or very revolutionary but it can work. There have been posts before about how the island looks a bit tatty; maybe do a bit to tackle that? Try and get some locals onside, a petition maybe? I wish the BA (and navigation authorities in general actually) would stop being so snobby about liveaboards generally.. Most yards, IMHO given the choice would like to have a couple around at least, for security, they'd like to be able to offer it to staff sometimes too.. And why not? Council tax could be paid, pp granted.. Then maybe folks wouldn't have to all be in the one spot so much... All I'm saying is that I wish some sensible compromise could happen BEFORE it gets silly and the only winners are the lawyers..

Windows Live Mail 2011. Hit send and i get the annoying; "Unable to send or receive messages for the Gmail (janestrutt) account. Header download for the 'Inbox' folder did not complete. Your server has unexpectedly terminated the connection. Possible causes for this include server problems, network problems, or a long period of inactivity. Server Response: Your IMAP command could not be sent to the server, due to non-network errors. This could, for example, indicate a lack of memory on your system. Server: 'imap.gmail.com' Windows Live Mail Error ID: 0x800CCC0E Protocol: IMAP Port: 993 Secure(SSL): Yes" It was fine on "7" (plz forgive over-use of above rather comforting emoticon!)

Still can't make Windows Live work... am emotionally exhausted!

It's dunnit! Phew... Thanks for holding my paw through that Iain, now just to find out how to make Windows live work again! Have found a youtube vid by what sounds like a 10 year old which looks helpful.... the ignominy..

It's true i tell'ee!!!!! Mind you, by 4am on ANY night the club did kinda resemble a Hammer Horror...

We used to run a nightclub in London (a nice fluffy, non-gangstery nightclub!) but over the years we did notice that when the full moon coincided with a club night we would always need more security on.. i swear it does affect folks! ETA Howoooooooooooollllll!

Thanks for your help tho Iain - i should have waited till OH was around to do some claw-holding and tea-making!! Circle is at 42% 44% progressing!

T'was the shutdown before that where it froze! S'ok (for now...!) I have a progress wheel... progressing (phew) It's quite a powerful machine; bought to operate lighting control software.. I shall go into the sun and do some gardening whilst it finds it's trousers....

S' already taken HOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURS!

S'ok (i think), got advice to just hit power button and it seems to be continuing the upgrade upon starting up again - why do i think there may be a few more sqeaky-bum moments before this thing is done?! Eek....

Blimmin Eck..... Decided to go for it - all good, started to do the first Shut Down about 15 mins ago and it STILL says it's shutting down - hard disk light just blinking regularly.... is this normal???! Help!

Does anyone have any advice for turning in a strong tide? Would it be best, for instance to slow the boat in reverse before attempting a turn? Apologies for the hijack, i tend to ask these questions as they occur to me!!

You prolly couldn't afford one of those pretty little cottages - my uncle used to live in Holt and still has mates in Blakeny - the prices have gone up a crazy amount in the last 10 years.... Loved the dawn/dusk photos... cant wait to do this on our OWN BOTE next year! Not allowed to motor in the dark on hireboats on the canals either.... So very glad you had a brilliant time... think i'd like to do the northern broads in the winter/spring/out of season.. magical.... ..

All those pics of Blakeny and Cley, how fab! That's where i spent every single childhood holiday.. i love those salt marshes, we used to go off in the morning, just had to be back before dark! (couldn't get away with that now!) Orca!!

Sorry you had this aggro Orca, has made me v glad we're down south after much of the summer mayhem is over... I always find this stuff quite upsetting, more so as i get older - prolly why we're getting out of London! Went to go swimming the other day; it was closed due to "blood in the pool after a fight"!! Is nowhere sacred?! IMHO these crazy speeders are entirely missing the point of the broads..... Relaxation!

+1 for this idea - don't want to put too much pressure on you Robin, but this is a case of you being the "victim of your own success" here i'm afraid! You're a brilliant communicator and i've already learned loads from the bits and bobs on the videos.. If i were the Broads Authority i'd PAY you to do tutorial vids! Camera looks pretty good btw....

Alan, i have of late heard that the canal trip through Manchester is much improved of late - but i'd still avoid school hols and try to get through in the morning when the little darlings are still in the land of nod! Oh and have my patent "self-defense-is-no-offence" super-soaker with its potent mix of chilli and tobasco water in at the ready just in case! (later to be swapped for tequila - but that's another story!)

Nope - wanna hear it all - warts and all! Anyhoo - we are well-hard, us..... We have boated through London on a SATURDAY NIGHT! Brushing the stoners off the lock-beams at Camden like dopey flies... one even gave me a hand..! So we're well-ard, us......... NOT!!!!!

Hey Ray... you wouldn't believe the amount of these orange blobby jobs are scattered around the canals of london - Bizarre - or typically London! In a short towpath yomp from Haggerston to Mile End i saw four!

Really enjoying these tales Alan - keep 'em coming! It's really helping with not pining away the days to september too much as well....